Krzysztof Kozak

I am postdoctoral fellow working with Owen McMillan at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama. I decided to study biodiversity upon discovering that I was better at bird watching in Costa Rica than at Organic Synthesis exams (go figure). My research has focused on applying population genomics, phylogenetics and comparative techniques to answer questions about the macroevolution of Heliconiini. Current focus is the long-standing question codiversification between H. mepomene and H. erato, which I am attamepting to answer with latest high-throughput sequencing tools and demographic modeling. Previous projects included dating the radiation of Heliconiini, evaluating the role of potential drivers of diversification (environmental change, mimetic interactions, coevolution with the Passiflora host plants) and estimating the extent of reticulate evolution across the genus.

In 2015 I enjoyed a brief holiday from Heliconius, studying vectors of malaria in Africa. I am always interested in collaborations on the macroevolution of heliconians and other tropical creatures.